Paro is where every visitor arrives, because it holds Bhutan's only international airport. The landing is itself an event: the runway sits at 2,235 metres in a valley ringed by peaks over five thousand, the approach requires a sequence of tight manual turns between mountainsides, and only a small number of pilots worldwide are certified to fly it. There is no autopilot approach; it is done by sight, in daylight only.
Rinpung Dzong
The Rinpung Dzong — 'fortress on a heap of jewels' — dominates the valley. Built in 1644, it functions simultaneously as a monastery and as the district administration, which is the standard arrangement for Bhutanese dzongs: monks on one side of the courtyard, civil servants on the other. Below it, a traditional cantilever bridge roofed in shingles crosses the river, and the walk up from it is the classic approach.
Above the dzong, the round watchtower that once guarded it now houses the National Museum, with textiles, masks, weapons and a good collection of thangka painting.
Kyichu Lhakhang
Kyichu Lhakhang is one of the two oldest temples in Bhutan, traditionally dated to the seventh century and attributed to the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo, who is said to have built 108 temples in a single day to pin down a demoness lying across the Himalaya. The orange trees in its courtyard are said to bear fruit year-round regardless of season. It is small, dark and heavily used — and far more atmospheric than anything larger.
Chele La
The road south from Paro climbs to Chele La at around 3,988 metres, the highest motorable pass in Bhutan. On a clear morning it gives a view of Jomolhari (7,326 m), and the pass itself is thick with prayer flags. From here a short walk leads to the Kila Nunnery, cut into the cliffside below.
Practical notes
Paro town is small — one main street of traditional painted buildings — and most visitors stay here at the start or end of a trip, since Taktsang is in this valley. Flights are cancelled or delayed by weather more often than elsewhere, so do not plan a tight onward connection out of Paro on the same day.
Drukgyel Dzong
At the head of the valley stand the ruins of Drukgyel Dzong, built in 1649 to commemorate victory over Tibetan invaders and gutted by fire in 1951. Reconstruction was ordered in 2016 and has been carried out with traditional methods. On a clear day Jomolhari rises directly behind it, which is why the site was chosen: it guarded the invasion route.